Archive for the 'D J Mbenga' Tag Under 'Lakers' Category

DJ Mbenga is out for Game 5 between the Lakers and Thunder on Tuesday night because of further laser surgery to his left eye Sunday morning. Mbenga, a backup center who hasn't played in the series, will be re-evaluated Tuesday to determined his future status.

Lakers spokesman John Black said further surgery is not uncommon in cases such as this. Mbenga had two more retinal holes repaired Sunday morning. Mbenga needed emergency surgery to his eye April 17 after being hit during practice and suffering one retinal hole.

Backup center D.J. Mbenga was back with the team Monday, but wearing street clothes and orange-tinted glasses.

No, he wasn't trying to be stylish. Mbenga must wear the orange-tinted eyewear while recovering from emergency laser surgery to repair a retinal hole. He suffered the tear after getting poked in the eye Saturday.

Mbenga said he experienced double vision and had trouble walking before going to the hospital to be checked out.

"I just felt something and I went down on the floor," Mbenga said Monday. "I tried to stand up myself and walk from there to the locker room and it was kind of bad because I really didn't have my balance so I had to go to the hospital right away."

DJ Mbenga will miss the Lakers' playoff opener Sunday and perhaps Game 2 also after emergency laser surgery Saturday night to repair a retinal hole in his left eye. Mbenga was hit in the eye at practice and will be re-evaluated Tuesday afternoon; Game 2 is Tuesday night.

Mbenga is mostly an insurance policy as a backup center, but the Lakers will be limiting Andrew Bynum's playing time as he regains his conditioning after a month off with his strained Achilles' tendon. But without Mbenga on Sunday and with Sasha Vujacic out perhaps two months with a severe ankle sprain, the Lakers won't even be able to field a full 12-man active roster because they only have 13 players on the team.

Little-used power forward Josh Powell is in line to get some spot duty behind Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom with Bynum likely to play limited minutes, or Phil Jackson could go with a small lineup with more playing time for Luke Walton.

Surgery was performed Saturday night Ron Gallimore. There isn't much time after Game 2 for further recovery, as the series is scheduled for only one day off after each of the first three games. Mbenga had gone to a neurologist Friday after he was hit in the head in practice Friday and sustained what was thought initially might be a concussion.

Mbenga had been one of the few Lakers not to be banged up entering the postseason. Only Gasol, Derek Fisher, Powell and Adam Morrison don't have something especially noteworthy bothering them, although Powell does have some knee soreness.

Mbenga was sent to a neurologist for testing. It was initially believed an elbow from Andrew Bynum hurt Mbenga, but Bynum said he wasn't even on the floor at the time of the injury.

Bynum and Lamar Odom were both with the Lakers' first team for the scrimmage against what amounted to an Oklahoma City scout team with Adam Morrison playing the role of star Thunder small forward Kevin Durant. Hey, they were both college superstars, right? (I guess the only other option would've been Luke Walton.)

The rest of that unit had Jordan Farmar as fellow ex-Bruin Russell Westbrook, Shannon Brown as long-armed Thabo Sefolosha, Josh Powell about the same frame as Jeff Green and Mbenga as presumably Nenad Krstic ... although Mbenga naturally should be Serge Ibaka's twin given they are both Congolese.

The scout team actually won the first scrimmage before the Lakers' starters came back in the next game.

Now that Bynum has a strained left Achilles' tendon, is Mbenga in line to play actual meaningful minutes in games?

Sort of.

Besides Lamar Odom moving in as a starter, where he's more comfortable anyway, Josh Powell is Phil Jackson's first choice to fill a frontcourt spot in the rotation. But Mbenga will get more time against bigger teams, although Jackson said Mbenga's lack of conditioning makes it unlikely he could play more than 15-to-20 minutes in a game.

EL SEGUNDO -- The Lakers knew when they rested Luke Walton earlier this season that his back problems were complex enough that they might return -- and they have, to the point that Walton realistically is not going to give the Lakers much contribution the rest of this season.

Phil Jackson suggested it remains possible that Walton's pinched nerve could improve to the point that he could "help us in the playoffs," but the Lakers don't have much reason to believe improvement is coming. The problem is such that it could continue to hound the Walton and the club even beyond this season.

Walton is getting $4.8 million this season and has three more years worth $16.7 million left on his deal, one that the Lakers obviously regret giving out in light of Walton's injuries. His savvy in the triangle offense and his versatility have made Walton a Jackson favorite, but Walton has basically been a non-factor this season. He hurt his back early in the season but sat out after struggling through the first nine games. Since his Jan. 12 return, he has been limited in mobility and shot 0 for 5 from the field in 5:44 of action in Utah last game -- opening the door for Sasha Vujacic to reclaim a role.

If Walton stays shelved for the rest of the season and the Lakers make no personnel acquisitions, both Adam Morrison and DJ Mbenga would join the active roster every game. Morrison's expiring contract worth $5.3 million this season is a prime Lakers trade chip, if they want to fatten an already bloated future payroll.